Thirty-five firefighters and five fire engines were cleaning up a major gasoline spill near the intersection of West Hampden Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood after a pump malfunctioned at the City Mart gas station.

Cindy Matthews, spokeswoman for the West Metro Fire Protection District, said the spill occurred late this morning after Pump No. 2 at the gas station malfunctioned and flooded the parking lot with about 150 gallons of gasoline.

The City Mart is located 3457 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Traffic on Wadsworth was being rerouted to nearby side streets.

Matthews said firefighters were able to prevent all but a small amount of the gasoline from flowing into a nearby storm sewer.

She said that the first priority of firefighters arriving at the scene was to prevent an explosion. The area contains many shops, including a large Red Robin restaurant.

She said that because of measures taken, there is little chance of an explosion, and business owners were told they could “shelter in place.”

At the time of the incident, said Matthews, no one was using the pump. She said the only customer was inside the gas station’s office.

Matthews said that various devices and foam were being used to sop up the gasoline. The cleanup is expected to continue through midafternoon.

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